Wentworth Club announces Gary Player Design for Edinburgh Course renovation

Story published at 15:14, Tuesday, May 24th, 2016

Page last updated at 5:00 pm, Tuesday, May 24th, 2016

At front Mr Songhua Ni, President of Reignwood Group and Gary Player; rear Kenny MacKay and Stephen Gibson, Wentworth Club

Wentworth Club has announced the appointment of Gary Player Design to carry out the renovation of its famous Edinburgh Course as part of the multi-million pound investment programme being undertaken by the Club and its owners Reignwood Group.

Player’s involvement will mark a continuation of his long and proud association with the Club, dating back to his 1965 World Match Play victory at Wentworth, and his subsequent input into the original design of the Edinburgh Course, which opened in 1990.

Wentworth Club will draw upon Player’s 65 years of elite golfing experience and market-leading design credentials to establish the Edinburgh Course as one of the premier golf courses in the world.

Over the next year, a number of improvements will be made to the course, including:

A comprehensive renewal of the irrigation system

A new bunker programme

A world class driving range and short game practice area

The replacement of grasses on putting surfaces

The announcement is the latest in a string of significant developments revealed at Wentworth Club and continues its relationship with world leading course designers on the renovation of its three golf courses. Earlier this year, Ernie Els was unveiled as the designer who will lead renovations of Wentworth’s West Course, which will begin in earnest after this year’s BMW PGA Championship.

Both appointments form part of Reignwood’s wider commitment to make Wentworth the world’s leading private golf and country club.

Commenting on the announcement, Player said, “Having played at Wentworth Club many times I’ve always found it to be one of the world’s elite golfing venues and I am excited to help shape the future of golf at Wentworth, building a course which is as thrilling to play as it is to design.

“Our objective for the Edinburgh Course is to renovate the features and infrastructure to create a world-class golf course. It will be challenging yet fun to play, and have a look and character that is unique and quite different from the demanding Championship West Course.”

Wentworth Club Chief Executive Stephen Gibson said, “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Gary Player Design on developing the Edinburgh Course. He is one of the greatest ambassadors for the game and knows better than anyone what it takes to both play and design great courses.

“This appointment demonstrates the Club’s clear commitment to becoming a world-class golfing venue and we cannot wait to begin work in the coming weeks and months to ensure the very best golfing experience for our members.”

In addition to the improvement projects for the West Course and Edinburgh Course, the Club’s East Course will also undergo an extensive renovation, with a design partner to be announced soon. The upgrades to the golf courses complement the wider investment programme at the famous Wentworth Club, which will see significant enhancements across all its facilities, including to its tennis & health and fine-dining facilities and the overall level of service provided to members.